Texas Sen. Ted Cruz disputed Donald Trump’s suggestion that he may not be qualified to serve as president because of his birth in Canada during Thursday night’s presidential debate.
When asked about his birthplace, Cruz quipped that he was glad the debate moderators chose to focus on the important topics of the evening.
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“Back in September, my friend Donald said he had his lawyers look at this from every which way and there was no issue there. There was nothing to this birther issue,” Cruz said. “Since September, the Constitution hasn’t changed, but the poll numbers have. And I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa, but the facts and the law here are really quite clear.”
This is a major shift, because Cruz has up to this point hesitated to attack Trump. Just as Trump began to raise questions about whether Cruz was a natural born citizen when the Texas senator bypassed him in Iowa polls, Cruz has become more willing to criticize since Trump has regained his lead.
Trump responded by reprimanding Cruz for the way he characterized recent poll numbers in the Hawkeye State and countered Cruz’s argument.
“There are other attorneys who feel, and very, very fine constitutional attorneys that feel that because he was not born on the land he cannot run for office,” Trump responded. “We are running we are running, he does great, I win, I chose him as my VP candidate and the Dems sue because we can’t take him along for the ride. I don’t like that.”
As the two rivals continued to lock horns, each teased the idea of nominating the other as there vice presidential pick. Cruz noted that Trump would assume the presidency in a Cruz administration if Trump’s theory about Cruz’s illegitimacy proved correct.
Cruz also argued that under some of the birth-related challenges raised against his candidacy, other candidates — including Trump — could be disqualified. Trump said he began raising the issue of Cruz’s birth because he had begun performing better, but that Cruz had a small chance of ever winning.
Trump ranks first in the Washington Examiner‘s newest GOP presidential power rankings. Cruz ranks second.
“The Constitution hasn’t changed, but the poll numbers have.”
